adventures in FOOD…in a food truck, in a hole-in-a-wall, on the curbside, an event, a restaurant, in a cafe, a trattoria or a turo-turo

I’ve had Chef/Owner Sandra Cordero’s paella at my son’s 10th birthday party. When she mentioned she’s having another pop up for May I decided to invite a dear friend who also happened to be my son’s second grade teacher.

It was a beautiful evening, not too hot nor cold out. Just perfect. And we started with this toast beautifully topped with tomatoes. Perfect for a late spring evening.

It was followed by an amuse of salad with frisee, peach and honeyed lardons. The sweetness from the peach and honeyed lardons balanced out by the bitterness of the frisee.

I personally had the Black Seafood Paella and it tasted exactly like Chef Sandra prepared it during my son’s birthday. I love squid ink myself so I enjoyed it very much. The rice is cooked with squid ink mixed with fish, shrimp, squid and clams topped with lemon. I think it’s a must to add lemon juice before eating as this rounds up the dish. I find it wonderfully light perfect for spring and summer.

Everyone else in my group had the Paella de Carne. It’s a heartier, meat version. The taste makes you want to curl up your toes and relax. It’s my comfort food, Spanish style.

Our paella night ended with coconut flan. I had to apologize for the quality of this phone. When I reviewed it last night I honestly thought it was clear. It was perfect blend of tart and sweet.

Chef Sandra’s paella will always be a winner in my book and I will always come back for more.

If you’re a big fan of Spanish food please visit Gasolina Cafe. And if you haven’t had paella ever…well now’s the time to head out to the Valley. They are just off the 101 freeway De Soto exit.

We are not strangers to Blu Jam Cafe in Sherman Oaks, CA. We have been here several times but never really took pictures. So here are some of our faves from this Hollywood-famous brunch spot.

This forever packed place seems to be the perfect spot for that perfect brunch or a quick lunch. There’s a nice little patio on the side that feels like somebody’s side garden (without the abundance of plants), the indoor space is cozy but breathable and there’s a covered sidewalk/al fresco that’s also available.

This gluten-free option is beyond delicious. Amazing. I can eat this all day, everyday. But I can’t for health reasons. That’s how yummy it is. Breakfast-y, check, lunch-y, check and dinner-y, check. Order for yourself or share with someone and split a breakfast dessert and call it a day.

They also serve a variety of other deliciousness so check them out. Create your own juice blend or coffee or tea.

Like this:

I have been wanting to hit this brunch spot since it opened. Birthday weekend came and I thought what a perfect reason to go. So we did. When we arrived, sign-up was already on the second page, meaning we will not be seated on the first wave and we have other things planned so we left. Well, we finally did make it and we were third in line. Perfect!

It’s located in a strip mall along Sunset Boulevard in LA’s Silver Lake area. They open at 10 am every day but they don’t take reservations. If you’re brunching, it’s best to arrive early and have your name down on a clipboard situated somewhere next to the door. There are benches outside or you can grab coffee or take a nap in your car.

The kids opted for soda and a very delicious horchata. I opted for the housemade limeade which was refreshing.

poached egg, chorizo ham, potato mousseline, marigold flowers $10.85

One of the dishes we shared is the poached egg, chorizo ham, potato mousseline, marigold flowers dish. One word comes to my mind. DIVINE. You have to take small bites with the three major components in the spoon and just let it roll around your mouth. Tasting each component separately and together. It’s just wonderful.

poached egg, chorizo ham, potato mousseline, marigold flowers $10.85

You can see in the picture above, hiding under the potato mousseline is the poached egg and chorizo ham.

duck confit, leche de tigre, sweet potato, basil $19.50

This duck dish did not do it for me. I do like duck I guess just not this way. Maybe if it were boneless then maybe I would have a different opinion but the flavors were alright.

The dish above has to be the star of our brunch. It was amazing. Dare I say life changing? Yes, for me at least. See I never liked soft taco. The taco that I like and grew up with is the Filipino kind. It’s the one sold in Greenhills in the middle of a shopping mall in the Philippines. It’s a hard shell taco with shredded lettuce, ground beef and cheese. That’s it. I never liked the soft version, and being in LA, believe me I have tried. Well, I guess this one is a hybrid(?). As you can see it has both a hard and soft shell. I took a bite and I was hooked. I mean, I still think about it. I want to go back really bad. Maybe I should…just by myself or have those to go. (Now I’m just rambling LOL!)

Galette crepe: egg, ham, comte, avocado milk $15.25

Galette crepe was suggested by one of the staff. And I can see why. Ham and cheese. Who does not like? I’m sure there are people who does not like but you know what I mean. The avocado milk adds a different touch to it. Maybe even safe enough for those who do not like avocado.

salted caramel crepe $5

We had the salted caramel crepe to finish off our brunch. It was simple and good. Not too sweet.

Like this:

I’ve had Peaches Truck before but never wrote about them. Well, I had such a good meal yesterday it deserves a post. So here I am, crawling under my protective rock and posting pics and what not. Food at Peaches is straight up comfort food. Even their waffle fries is perfectly crisp on the outside and moist and hot on the inside. I mix ketchup and their spicy bbq sauce and I’m curling my toes. Check it out…